This invention relates to floating wharf structures of the type disclosed in my co-pending application entitled, "Floating Dock", Ser. No. 537,602, filed Dec. 30, 1974 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,569.
In the referenced application a means of interconnecting modular float units was described wherein the float units include a flange structure along the sides having a flat top and bottom horizontal mounting surface. Elongated stringers, which extend along a portion of the flange structures of at least two adjacent float units, are mounted against the top and bottom mounting surface of the flange structure. The stringers and flange structures are secured together in sandwich fashion by a plurality of vertical fastening bolts which pass through the stringers and the flange structure. Preferably a tubular sleeve element is installed in the flange structure during fabrication of the float units to define the hole in the flange structure. The advantages of the tubular element are elaborated in the referenced application.
This means of interconnecting adjacent float units has been found to greatly reduce assembly time of wharf structures as well as provide a substantially rigid interconnection of the float units which is not only stronger than previous arrangements, but in the infrequent case of failure, is far simpler to repair or replace.
It has been found that such an arrangement of flange structure and stringers is ideally adaptable to a modular wharf system with greater versatility of assembling float units into a desired pattern or for rearranging already installed system. Furthermore, this particular arrangement of flange structure and stringers permits connection of component structures such as pier collars with a strength not heretofore achievable.